FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Top officials at a Florida school district ordered the removal of all books and material containing LGBTQ characters and themes from classrooms and campus libraries, saying that was needed to conform to a state law backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that critics have dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.”
“Books with LBGTQ+ characters are not to be included in classroom libraries or school library media centers,” the pair responded, according to a district memo obtained under a public information request by the. The nonprofit group, which opposes the law, provided the memo to The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The southwest Florida county between Fort Myers and Sarasota has about 17,000 students in its public schools. The Republican governor, who is running for his party’s presidential nomination, won the county with 70% of the vote in 2022 as he cruised to reelection. DeSantis and other Republicans have repeatedly said the measure is reasonable and that parents, not teachers, should be broaching subjects of sexual orientation and gender identity with their children. The governor has made cultural issues a major point of his presidential campaign, even taking on theFlorida Freedom to Read said Charlotte’s policy is “evidence that fear over thoughtful decision making is winning the day.